Juliet Oladele, Reporting
NIGERIA’S Lagos Port in Apapa and Tin Can Island Port have been named among the world’s top 20 most improved container ports over the past five years, according to the World Bank’s latest Container Port Performance Index.
The 2025 CPPI report, compiled by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, ranked Tin Can Island Port 10th globally among ports that posted the highest improvements between 2020 and 2025, while Apapa Port secured 12th position.
The performance places Nigeria among a select group of countries that have made substantial progress in enhancing vessel turnaround times, port efficiency, and cargo handling operations over the past five years.
Significant Score Improvements
According to data from the report, Tin Can Island Port improved its CPPI score by 42 points, moving from -68 in 2020 to -26 in 2025. Apapa Port also recorded a notable improvement of 35 points, rising from -61 in 2020 to -26 in 2025.
The Container Port Performance Index provides a consistent, data-driven measure of global port efficiency by focusing on vessel time in port. It enables comparisons across ports and over time, helping identify where performance is improving and where challenges remain.
Outperforming Major Global Ports
Nigeria outperformed several major international ports in the global improvement rankings, including:
· France’s Marseille Port (11th, 39-point improvement)
· Türkiye’s Iskenderun Port (13th, 34-point increase)
· India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port (14th, 32-point gain)
· Peru’s Paita Port (15th, 32 points)
· China’s Keelung and Fuzhou ports (16th and 17th, 27 points each)
Economic Impact
The development follows the Nigerian Port Authority’s frontline contribution to the sustenance of national trade surplus through providing the platform for Nigeria’s successive attainment of trade surplus year-on-year since 2024.
Most recently, the National Bureau of Statistics reported a trade surplus of N7.54 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring the critical role of efficient port operations in driving economic growth.
The CPPI report – now in its sixth edition – evaluates container port performance based on vessel turnaround time and operational efficiency using a global benchmark, offering valuable insights into how ports are adapting to evolving global trade demands.
